"Alex, the inn we saw last time... it wasn't this one, was it?"
Saki Yoshida hadn't forgotten the hot spring inn they encountered in the mountains previously. They had enjoyed a comfortable soak then, though the proprietress had been a bit strange, asking if they wanted "special services."
That was basically prostitution, right? Do inns really offer that? Such a bizarre place had left a deep impression on Saki, but she realized that the villa ahead of them in the blizzard was definitely not that inn.
Kaede, whether from the cold or fear, shrank into Alex's arms, shivering. Only his scent and warmth gave her a sense of security.
"Alex, that place... gives me a very bad feeling," Tsubaki said. With the multiple abilities Alex had granted her—besides combat and firearms—she also possessed a trace of his [Super Intuition]. She could sense the eerie atmosphere radiating from the villa.
And a faint trace of malice.
"You're right. I feel it too. That villa should be the place the proprietress mentioned last time. Perhaps it's the source of the 'spiriting away' in this region," Alex noted. Although Shiho and Rena Haibara hadn't come along this time, Alex still intended to investigate.
As for that malice... Alex narrowed his eyes. He caught sight of several streaks of light flickering erratically around the area, emitting an ominous glow that seemed to be beckoning him toward the villa.
He glanced at the girls beside him; they didn't seem to notice the ghostly lights.
His attentive little maid, Tsubaki, seemed to sense something, but after looking around and seeing nothing, she looked puzzled. Only I can see them? Interesting... Alex closed his eyes to sense the spatial coordinates.
Despite the blizzard, his spatial abilities allowed him to easily lock onto the villa's location. Once locked, he silently sensed the situation inside.
"This villa hides some secrets. Yui, what do you think? Do you want to go in together?" Alex opened his eyes and looked seriously at his women. "If you're truly scared, I can send you out right now."
The blizzard couldn't interfere with his spatial teleportation.
"It's fine," Yui Obata replied with a calm smile, shielding her eyes from the snow with one hand while grabbing Alex's hand with the other. "Staying by your side, we were bound to encounter things like this sooner or later. We're all willing to face it. Besides, with you here, we aren't worried about danger."
"Then let's go." Seeing that the other girls shared Yui's resolve, Alex nodded, feeling proud of how much they had grown. He led them toward the villa without further hesitation.
The closer they got, the weaker the howling blizzard became. However, for an existence like Alex, the sense of eeriness only intensified. When they finally stood before the villa's grand entrance, the wind and snow had vanished completely. As for the villa itself...
Creeeeeak—
The heavy doors slowly swung open. Standing next to Alex, Kaede's eyes widened as she saw a curvaceous, sexy woman standing in the doorway. She was wearing nothing but a translucent, thin silk nightgown that did absolutely nothing to hide her assets.
The outfit was incredibly bold—no different from the erotic lingerie the girls only wore when they were having sex with Alex. What is wrong with this woman?
Kaede, Makoto, and the others were stunned by the visual impact.
"Have you travelers been caught in the blizzard? How dangerous. If you don't mind, please come inside and rest," the woman said, her voice dripping with an almost tangible, seductive aura. Every movement and smile was designed to entice. "This weather is no time to be outdoors."
"..."
"Are you the owner of this villa?" The moment Alex saw her, he seemed to understand something. He stepped calmly into the quiet, creepy mansion.
"Yes, this is my home. If you need a place to stay the night, you are more than welcome," the voluptuous MILF said with a gentle smile. "After all, the storm outside won't be settling down anytime soon."
Tsubaki followed her master, scanning the magnificent and lavish lobby. The lady of the house led them to sit on the sofas and then brought out a girl who looked to be about the same age as the students.
"My name is Ruriee Munakata. And this is my daughter, Nakoto Munakata," the woman introduced gently. She showed no reservation in flaunting her seductive body—her snake-like waist and heavy breasts were barely contained by the silk. With his sharp vision, Alex could even see the dark outlines of her nipples through the fabric.
Alex: "..." This is a bit ridiculous.
As for Nakoto Munakata, she was dressed like a wealthy young lady. However, Tsubaki, who had been a noble herself, noticed that Nakoto lacked the genuine temperament of the aristocracy.
Something was off.
She looked at her master and saw Alex remained perfectly composed, which told her she didn't need to worry.
"Hello," Nakoto bowed with a pure, sweet smile.
"Is it just the two of you here?"
"My husband passed away recently," Ruriee sighed mournfully. "Now it's just my daughter and me, leaning on each other. We also have one maid."
"This place is quite remote. Nothing but a lone villa in the middle of nowhere," Alex remarked, crossing his legs and stroking his chin. "You've lived here all this time? That's a bit unusual."
"It is our home, after all," the MILF's expression suddenly turned sorrowful. "To be honest, we don't want to stay in such a desolate place, but... without my husband, Nakoto and I have to survive somehow."
After sharing her story, Ruriee turned her gaze back to Alex. "But what brings our guests here? Few people ever venture into these mountains, especially after the rumors of 'bad things' happening started spreading."
As she spoke, she glanced at the girls surrounding Alex, her eyes lingering for a moment on their exquisite faces.
Beside her, Nakoto nodded in agreement, acting like a curious child. "Yes... Mother and I haven't seen outsiders for a long time. You're all from the city, right?"
"Yes, we're from Tokyo. It's scorching hot there right now," Alex rested his chin on his hand. "The difference is like night and day. It's hard to imagine a blizzard in the middle of summer."
"Tokyo... to be honest, we don't know the cause of this freak weather either. Perhaps my husband knew some secrets, but he's already..."
"This woman keeps talking to Alex. Something feels fishy," Ai Kitami whispered to the other girls on the side.
"Well, it's obvious Alex is the one in charge," Chisato smiled.
"Hmph, I think she's just trying to seduce him. A widow and her daughter living in the deep woods? They're practically begging for it..."
Seduction? If it were just simple seduction, it wouldn't be a problem.
"Don't think too much. Usually, this kind of thing is a 'honey trap'—sugar-coated bullets," Yui whispered.
"I know. Eat the sugar, and fire the bullet back, right? Alex definitely won't let this mother-daughter pair go~"
"..."